An automatic sewing machine of the type as defined is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,378. In this machine a preparatory station in the form of a folding device is provided parallel to the main longitudinal direction of a sewing head, i.e. the sewing head is situated--as seen from the operator's side--in the rear area of the stand. With the aid of a guiding device the prepared workpieces are moved with a workpiece holder along a U-shaped path into a sewing position in which sewing takes place while the workpiece holder is moved with the workpiece in two coordinate directions. Handling of large workpieces is not provided for with this device.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,590 to move workpieces from a preparatory station by means of a sliding cylinder into a sewing position on the sewing head in which the sewing head and workpiece holder, together with the workpiece, are then moved in the usual manner relative to one another while a preset seam is sewn. The provision of a separate drive for the transfer of workpieces from the preparatory station to the sewing position is intended to enable the use of this automatic sewing machine for large workpieces.
The two known automatic sewing machines described above each have a workpiece receiving plate which permits overhanging, i.e. hanging down of larger workpieces, e.g. trouser sections, only towards the operator's side. Through this, rolling up of that area of the larger workpiece projecting over the smaller workpiece to be sewn on is unavoidable when sewing workpieces in which the workpiece to be sewn on, for example a pocket, is to be arranged approximately in the centre of a large workpiece. Larger workpieces of this type can be for example parts of overalls.